Good morning!
Your forecast: Splendid. Wonderful. Glorious. Sensational. Pick any adjective for just plain peachy and you’ve described Winnipeg’s weekly forecast to a T. Sure, there’s a chill in the air this morning – the thermometer read 3 C at 6:45 a.m. – but the day will warm up nicely to a high of 21 C by late afternoon. Then things just keep getting better and better (with mucho sol!!) and highs of 25 C on Wednesday, 26 C on Thursday and 27 C on Friday are expected. Environment Canada is handing us a weekend on a silver platter, with projected highs of 29 C both Saturday and Sunday.
In case you missed it
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair arrives for a campaign stop in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday August 19, 2015. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Of like mind on child care: If elected PM, federal NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said he would create a $15-a-day child-care program for all Canadians. And he has buy-in from Manitoba New Democrats. Premier Greg Selinger said affordable child care is a priority in Manitoba and his government would partner with the feds on the plan, though it’s unclear how much of the financial load the province would have to bear.
Order a steak in Dauphin: In an example of old-school crowdfunding, residents in the northern Manitoba town drummed up enough support from 35 investors to open a new upscale restaurant — Mr. Miles Steakhouse Casual. The new fine-dining experience follows on the heels of a similar effort in town to open the town’s first movie theatre in 10 years, which was completed in 2011. What’s next for Dauphin? The first MRI north of the Trans-Canada in Manitoba, coming soon.
Dollar tumbling: Spending that last week of the kids’ summer vacation south of the border? Oh, my. The Canadian dollar sank against the U.S. dollar on Monday, hitting a new 11-year low. The dollar fell to just over 75 cents US, a level it hasn’t been at since August 2004. Just like other commodity-linked currencies, the Canadian dollar was hit hard by falling oil prices. The price of crude was down 4 per cent to $38.84.
Up next
Ken Gigliotti / Winnipeg Free Press filesDavid Sanders ran for mayor and didn’t win. He wants answers into city hall scandals.
Land controversy (1): The ongoing public inquiry into the expropriation of land for the transitway corridor project hasn’t always been edge-of-your-seat exciting, but today should be interesting. The main witness is credible administration critic David Sanders. He previously labelled the transitway project a “billion-dollar boondoggle” that the city can’t afford and he’s called for suspension of the corridor.
Land controversy (2): A hearing tonight will get public reaction to a proposed limestone quarry in the RM of Rosser, north of the Perimeter Highway near Sturgeon Road. The proposed quarry, which could be as large as 300 acres, has twice met strong opposition. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Hitch N Post in Grosse Isle.
Around the water cooler
David Lipnowski / Winnipeg Free Press filesWinnipeg Jets Mark Stuart
Mark’s missus: Usually, the fastest way to end a media interview with a Winnipeg Jet is to ask about their romantic life. There would be no shortage of single women willing to date the bachelors on the team, who are physically fit, wealthy and have glamorous careers, but the guys generally refuse to talk publicly about their dates. So it’s a delight to read in today’s Free Press an interview with bluelier Mark Stuart, who talks about his upcoming wedding with Christina Caligiuri, a St. Mary’s Academy alumna. “For sure, she’s definitely the one for me,” Stuart tells sportswriter Tim Campbell. READ MORE
Retro rock: If you’re old enough to remember buying your music on eight-track tapes, you will enjoy bobbing your grey-haired head to a string of rock acts from the 70s and 80s coming to Winnipeg. As Free Press entertainment writer Erin Lebar reports, incoming acts include Belinda Carlisle, Kenny Rogers, Trooper, Janet Jackson, AC/DC and Shania Twain. READ MORE
Blue Jays still flying high: The Bombers are struggling, the Jets are refueling and the Goldeyes remain below .500, so time to focus on Toronto’s boys of summer. The Blue Jays are deadlocked with the New York Yankees atop Major League Baseball’s America League East division. The clubs sport identical 69-55 records. The Jays begin a three-game series in Arlington tonight against the Texas Rangers, while the Yankees host the Houston Astros.
Trending now
#UpForDebate: A debate on women’s issues slated for Sept. 21 has been scrapped because two of three leaders of Canada’s main political parties aren’t attending. A spokeswoman for Up for Debate, a coalition of dozens of women’s groups and other organizations, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper — and therefore NDP Leader Tom Mulcair — won’t participate. Mulcair has stated he won’t participate in debates that Harper intentionally skips.
You Oughta Know: In Los Angeles on Monday night, Canadian alternative rocker Alanis Morissette joined pop sensation Taylor Swift onstage and gave a memorable performance of her hit You Oughta Know. Morissette was the third special guest at the Staples Center, after Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres also hit the stage at Swift’s third straight sold-out show on her 1989 tour.
On this date
On August 25, 2003: The Winnipeg Free Press reported that nearly 200 Manitoba soldiers went to B.C. to help fight massive forest fires. A Winnipeg teen was beaten so badly he could not be identified by police, despite their having arrested two suspects. The second phase of Red River College’s downtown campus, combining heritage buildings with hi-tech facilities was set to open Sept. 2. St. Boniface MP Liberal Ray Simard said he wished the government’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, announced in June, had gotten more debate. The Little River Rockfest in Minnedosa filed for bankruptcy.
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